The Pontiac Fiero is a
mid-engined sports car built by the Pontiac
division of General Motors from 1984 to 1988.
The Fiero was the first
two-seater Pontiac since the 1930s, and also the
first mass-produced mid-engine sports car by a
U.S. manufacturer. Many technologies
incorporated in the Fiero design, such as
plastic body panels were radical for its time.
Alternative names considered for the car were
Sprint, P3000, Pegasus, Fiamma, Sunfire, and
Firebird XP. The Fiero 2M4 (2-seat, Mid-engine,
4-cylinder) was on Car and Driver magazine's Ten
Best list for 1984. The 1984 Fiero was the
Official Pace Car of the Indianapolis 500 for
1984, beating out the new 1984 Chevrolet
Corvette for the honor.

Over 370000 Fieros were
produced over the relatively short production
run of five years; by comparison, 163000 Toyota
MR2s were sold in its first five years. At the
time, its reputation suffered from criticisms
over performance, reliability and safety issues.
Today, however, compared to less adventurous
attempts at two-seaters such as the Ford EXP,
the unique style of the Fiero compared to other
American cars has left it a cult following as a
collectible car. It remains a popular chassis
for rebodies and even electric conversions, and
the vehicle's, which originates from the Italian
word meaning 'proud', gives its fans
something to be proud of every time the engine
is fired.

History

When the Fiero was
initially proposed in the late 1970s, General
Motors (GM) management and accountants were
opposed to investing in a second two-seater
sports car. But in 1979, during the oil crisis,
management saw a market opportunity for a
fuel-efficient sporty commuter car and design
work on the Fiero commenced. The vehicle was
fitted with a fuel efficient version of GM's
2.5L 4-cylinder 'Iron Duke' engine capable of 27
miles per gallon (mpg) (8.7 L/100 km) in the
city and 40 mpg (5.9 L/100 km) on the highway.
It was impressive mileage for a 2.5 liter engine
of the period, and still good by today's
standards, but the 3-speed automatic reduced
highway mileage to only 32 mpg-US (7.4 L/100
km). With respect to fuel economy, the Fiero
would appeal to a market niche for which the
Corvette with its V8 engine was unsuitable.

A mid-engine layout
was chosen as a way to reduce both drag and
vehicle weight to improve fuel efficiency, and
also for its handling, traction, and braking
benefits. The sports car potential of the
mid-engine layout was not fully realized when
the Fiero debuted. In line with its market
position, the tires, brakes, and some suspension
components were carried over from other GM
economy cars, such as the Chevrolet Citation and
Chevrolet Chevette, so the Fiero could be priced
appropriately. As a result, the handling and
cornering abilities of the initial Fiero were
merely on par with other contemporary sporty
coupes. The public had high expectations for the
Fiero with its mid-engine layout and futuristic
styling, which resembles more exotic mid-engine
sports cars costing much more. While initially
garnering good reviews for its handling, the
Fiero soon received disappointing reviews, as
the automotive critics expected higher
performance from a mid-engine two-seater.
Despite the critical press, the Fiero sold
extremely well and Pontiac operated three shifts
at the factory during 1984, and could not keep
up with initial demand.

The sharing of
suspension components with other GM cars meant
the rear suspension and powertrain was almost
identical to that of the Chevrolet Citation and
Pontiac Phoenix; the Fiero even included rear
tie rod ends attached to a 'steering knuckle',
although these were hard-mounted to the engine
cradle and only used for maintaining the rear
tire alignment. Similarly, the front suspension
was derived from the Chevrolet Chevette.

By 1984, the oil
crisis was a thing of the past and demand
developed for a Fiero having more engine power
and better sports car performance. Pontiac
responded by introducing the GT model which
included upgraded suspension tuning, wider
tires, and a V6 engine having 43 horsepower more
than the base 4-cylinder. In 1986, the GT model
was restyled to look even more sleek. Numerous
changes were made to the 1988 Fiero. The most
significant was a completely redesigned
suspension (and parts of the space frame) to
realize the potential of the mid-engine layout.
Now unique to the Fiero, the new suspension
included new two piece brake calipers and
upgraded brake rotors for 1988. The available I4
(4-cylinder) & V6 engines benefited from
evolutionary improvements, but the planned
availability of turbochargers and newer DOHC
engines did not happen before production ended.

Officially,
production ended because of an internal GM
forecast of insufficient future profits due to
an expected decrease in overall demand for
two-seater sports cars, however this decision
was commensurate with heavy media coverage of
Fiero engine fires. GM's forecast may have been
a year premature, as the actual sales in 1988
were lower than prior years but still double the
forecast. The Fiero was still turning a small
profit for the company even in its final year.